Dave Ramsey, America’s most trusted voice on money and business, endorses Zach for Governor.

FRANKLIN – Zach Wamp, Republican candidate for Governor, announced today that Dave Ramsey, the nationally syndicated radio host and personal money management expert, has endorsed his campaign for Governor and will host a special fundraising event for him in early July.

“We the people are looking for freedom from government control over our personal lives and our wallets. Taxes are out of control because government spending is out of control. It’s time in America and in Tennessee for our elected leaders to represent us,” Ramsey said.

“I’m convinced that Zach Wamp is the Governor that Tennessee needs at this crucial time in history to protect both our finances and our state sovereignty. I totally trust and endorse this man to govern the state I love.”

Ramsey, who offers life-changing financial advice to millions of families nationwide, is host of the nationally syndicated radio program, The Dave Ramsey Show, which is heard by nearly 4.5 million listeners each week on more than 450 radio stations throughout the United States.
Ramsey and his wife, Sharon, will host a special fundraising reception for Wamp at their home in Franklin on July 1.

“I am honored and grateful to have Dave Ramsey’s endorsement and his support,” Wamp said. “Dave has helped countless Tennesseans and Americans get out of debt, get control of their money and reclaim their lives through the use of old-fashioned common sense and individual accountability. I will bring that same principled, conservative approach to state government when I become governor.” 

Ramsey joins dozens of other noted Tennesseans and celebrated musicians such as Larry Gatlin, The Oak Ridge Boys, John Rich, Ricky Skaggs, Michael W. Smith, Gretchen Wilson, T.G. Sheppard, Paul Overstreet and the famed Christian group Casting Crowns, all of whom have volunteered their time and talents in support of Zach Wamp’s campaign for Governor.

Along with Dave Ramsey’s endorsement, Wamp announced a series of fundraising events over the next several weeks featuring several special guests and entertainers, including:

June 16 – Ed Cash and Friends / Franklin – Vanderbilt Legends Club

June 17 – The Whites / Franklin – White Oak Farm

June 18 – T.G. Sheppard / Winchester – Tims Ford Lake

June 28 – Ricky Skaggs / Chattanooga

June 29 – John Rich and Friends / Nashville

July 1 – Dave Ramsey / Franklin

Specific details of these events will soon be posted and updated regularly on Wamp’s campaign Web site at www.ZachWamp.com.

For more information about Zach Wamp and his campaign for governor, including his 20/20 Vision For an Even Better Tennessee, please visit the campaign online at www.ZachWamp.com.

Excerpted Remarks from Stefan Jacoby
President & CEO, Volkswagen of America
at the Tennessee Valley Corridor National Technology Summit
Washington, DC, May 27, 2010

Thank you, Congressman Wamp.
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Thank you also for helping to bring Volkswagen to Chattanooga. We’re glad we came to your congressional district and to the Tennessee Valley.
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It is a pleasure to be with you this morning. The Tennessee Valley Corridor is a remarkable example of regional cooperation.
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Your leadership has helped make the Tennessee Valley a magnet for technology-driven jobs.
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We are part of the Tennessee Valley community.
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We could have gone nearly anywhere in the United States with our new plant.
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The decision to come to Tennessee was driven by our heads and our hearts.
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We had good reasons — and it just felt right.
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The Web site for the Tennessee Valley Corridor lists 10 reasons the corridor is a technology hot spot.
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It’s a pretty good overview of the objective factors behind our choice.
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Two of the most important for us were “institutions that collaborate” and “national leadership through regional cooperation.”
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This meeting is a good example of that collaboration and cooperation.
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We’re proud of our investment in the U.S.
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The Chattanooga plant and the 2,000 people who will work there are a catalyst for economic growth throughout the region.
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Our $1 billion investment in Tennessee translates into $12 billion in income growth, $1.4 billion in total new tax revenue and 9,500 indirect jobs at suppliers and other businesses.
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To put that in perspective, $12 billion is equivalent to the total annual spending by the State of Tennessee. It is more than double the state’s share of the federal stimulus package.
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We have awarded more than $686 million worth of contracts to Tennessee Valley companies. Another $230 million in construction projects are planned over the next 20 years.
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At our adjoining supplier park, more than half of the contracts have gone to local or Tennessee companies.
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We are also collaborating with educational institutions in Tennessee and in other parts of the Tennessee Valley Corridor.
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Our education partnerships are designed to be comprehensive and mutually supportive.
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That is why we fund programs from the elementary school level to world-class research institutions.
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We help train teachers. We help students get to college. We help them succeed in college. We provide opportunities after college. We also work with students in vocational schools and community colleges.
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In Tennessee, we have committed more than $5 million over five years to Hamilton County Schools; the University of Tennessee campuses in Chattanooga and Knoxville; the Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Fisk University and Tennessee State
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Our partnership with Tennessee State provides scholarships and faculty support in the College of Business and Engineering. We also support an endowed chair in Supply Chain Management.
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At Fisk, we established a fellowship for high-achieving students who are engaged in community service. Some of the beneficiaries would not have been able to attend Fisk without that support.
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In Hamilton County, we have partnered with the Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy, a magnet elementary school, to provide a science lab. Nearly all of the students at the South Chattanooga school come from low-income families.
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Our partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory provides learning opportunities at the research facility for upper-division and post-graduate students who are interested in careers in the automotive industry.
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At the Northern end of the Tennessee Valley Corridor, we have a five-year partnership with Virginia Tech to support environmentally responsible technology, manufacturing and engineering.
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Those are just some of the programs we are supporting.
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We are not just making a financial commitment to education. We are also committing time and expertise.
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Volkswagen employees work directly with students and provide opportunities for learning outside the classroom.
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Some Virginia Tech students served as a pit crew for the Jetta TDI Cup series.
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Of course, we hope that the best and brightest students in the Tennessee Valley end up working for Volkswagen.
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But even if they don’t, their knowledge will enrich the community and contribute to the economic vitality of the region we call home.
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This is an exciting time in the auto industry.
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We cannot predict today what the cars of tomorrow will look like. But we know big changes are coming.
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Government can facilitate the shift to sustainable mobility but it should not try to force it. The government cannot pick winners and losers
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The members of the Tennessee Valley Corridor understand the need to let technology flourish.
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In today’s world, education and technology are the twin engines of economic growth
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Spread the word as you meet with policymakers here in Washington.
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And, please, keep up the good work that you are doing throughout the Tennessee Valley.
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Volkswagen is ready to help as you lead the region to a brighter future.

Zach’s 20/20 Vision is a comprehensive plan to put Tennesseans back to work and create the most dynamic economy in America.

This past weekend Zach crushed the GOP field in the straw poll conducted at the Cumberland County Lincoln Day Dinner. Zach earned more than 50% of the more than 400 ballots cast at the event in Crossville.

The straw poll win in Cumberland County comes on the heels of Zach’s major straw poll victories in Maury and Hamilton counties.

The results were:

Wamp: 209
Haslam: 132
Ramsey: 65